BUS STOPS - Mentoring

A bus stop is an exciting, dynamic session format which lets you engage with presenters, and learn about a variety of topics in one go! You'll move around the room in small groups to hear from up to four different presenters, making for a really personal experience.

The Mentor in Me: There's a tuakana in all of us! Practical tips and insights into decisive youth mentoring

As a trainer/facilitator with the NZ Youth Mentoring Network - as well as my own work with my own youth mentoring NGO - I have surveyed hundreds of students across Aotearoa asking the following question: "Would you agree with the statement - young people today are surrounded by adults - but not connected to adults?"

Sadly, nearly 100 % of students surveyed agreed with that statement. The default mentors, the tuakana/teina relationships, the organic - 'once upon a time' mentors in the lives of our rangatahi are barely significant today.

My presentation passionately and convincingly both challenges and empowers the truth of 'the mentor within all of us'. To turn the tide of the lack of role models or mentors in the lives of our tamarikiI deliver the 'need to know' of Mentoring 101 with highly engaging and succinct examples and life stories. All in a high energy super positive delivery.

Ross McCook

NZ Youth Mentoring Network and Heart For Youth Trust (H4Y)

Mentor self-disclosure: What do they share and why does it matter?

My presentation will be based on my doctoral research on mentor self-disclosure in mentoring relationships with adolescents. Self-disclosure has been theoretically and empirically identified as an essential part of interpersonal relationships, yet little is known about what it looks like in mentoring contexts.

I will present data about mentor self-disclosure based on my research: What are mentors disclosing about? What encourages and discourages mentors from disclosing? What role do mentoring programs play? I will also explore some of the challenges and conundrums of self-disclosure, such as mentor expectations and disclosing about risk behaviours.

My bus stop will be dynamic and engaging, using activities to share my research findings and encourage attendees to think about their own experiences and attitudes towards self-disclosure.

Hilary Dutton

University of Auckland

Youth Mentoring Programmes in Aotearoa - Culture Matters

Significant interest and investment in formal youth mentoring programmes calls for programming underpinned by evidence-based best practice and research. Programmes developed internationally must consider appropriate cultural adaptations for the Aotearoa context. Engaging key community stakeholders, including families and cultural advisors, is a key essential element of culturally responsive practice.

The Campus Connections (CC) Aotearoa programme, originally developed by Colorado State University, is one such project that explored indigenous references of knowledge from the past and present relevant to local youth and their community. Critical to navigating 'community connections' and 'relationships' for transformative programme design was an understanding that youth and their whanau already possessed inherent funds of knowledge and had their own kete of strengths to draw from. This presentation reflects upon the role of culture, and the benefits and challenges of refining a youth mentoring programme to grow and promote the rich cultural identities of diverse youth.

Yvonne Ualesi

Associate Professor Melinda Webber

(in absentia)

Dr Pat Bullen

(in absentia)

University of Auckland

The Power of Relationship

An encouraging reflection on the changes that occur in the heart, brain and behaviours of those engaged in meaningful relationship. Through spoken word, video and story the impacts of mentoring on both young person and mentor will be shared.